The Martin B-26B-25-MA Marauder holds pride of place in many a volume of historical aviation literature as “Flak-Bait.” The Glenn L. Martin Company built the B-26 Marauder to fulfill a specification given by the Army Air Corps in 1939, with project engineer Peyton M. Magruder leading the design effort. The urgency of war meant the bomber bypassed the prototype test stage and headed directly from the drawing board into production. This decision had deadly consequences for many crews since its high wing loading increased the landing and takeoff speeds and made it prone to numerous accidents during training.
In February 1941, the 22nd Bombardment Group at Langley Field, Va, became the first operational unit to receive the Marauders. Teething problems with the B-26 included nosewheel strut failures and engine malfunctions, but the B-26 began combat operations in the Pacific in early 1942 shortly after the U.S. entry into World War II. Because of its operational difficulties, however, the B-26 was eventually consigned to the European and African Theaters of Operation while the Pacific became the domain of the B-25 Mitchell.
“Flak-Bait” was appropriately named, for the bomber consistently returned from many missions full of holes after near misses from enemy guns. Lt. James J. Farrell, who flew more missions in “Flak-Bait” than any other pilot, actually named the bomber after his brother’s nickname for the family dog: “Flea Bait.” This airplane completed 202 combat missions over Europe, more than any other American aircraft during the war, and was famous for its durability after having suffered incredible damage.
The challenge now lies with the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum to preserve “Flak-Bait” without hurting its historicity. After spending decades in storage, this bomber has been under painstaking restoration at the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. Using scientific processes, conservers such as Pat Robinson, Chris Moore, Lauren Horelick, and specialist conservator from London Malcolm Collum, provide a solution that is, in theory, supposed to clean up and stabilize these paint layers and remove grime while leaving the battle scars intact.
“Keeping the essence of the bomber true-to-form and authentic has been pivotal,” said Jeremy Kinney of the Air and Space Museum, who, as curator of American military aviation, has been overseeing the restoration of Flak-Bait. “Flak-Bait is a true time capsule of that time,” he said. The restoration project requires differentiation between valuable, historical dirt and storage grime, and includes preserving the original paint of the aircraft, which flaked due to the lack of a primer.
The restoration team is also undoing a 1970s restoration in which the nose section of this P-61 was overpainted, hiding corrosion and chipped paint. By methods akin to diagnostic imaging, including ultraviolet light photography, the overpaint is meticulously removed so the original layers and markings can be revealed once again, those of battle damage and operational history that make an aircraft unique.
For the first time since World War II, “Flak-Bait” will be made whole again in its final resting place for all time, here at the Udvar-Hazy Center. This not only commemorates the storied past of the aircraft but also ensures that for generations yet unborn, people can acknowledge sacrifices and heroism in flight.